Malaysian financier ‘flees to mainland China’

HONG KONG: A financier at the centre of a massive financial scandal that helped topple Malaysia’s corruption-plagued former regime is likely to have fled to China, the South China Morning Post reported Wednesday. Jho Low, accused of being a key figure in the scandal surrounding sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, was believed to have travelled through semi-autonomous Hong Kong and Macau before crossing into the mainland. A flamboyant playboy known for partying with Hollywood A-listers, he is a close associate of toppled prime minister Najib Razak and allegedly conspired with him to loot the investment vehicle.

The Post cited a security source in Macau as saying it was “almost without doubt safe to say Low is now on the mainland. In fact, that is probably one of the reasons he came to Macau in the first place”. Malaysia’s Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said Wednesday that Macau authorities informed Kuala Lumpur by email that Low had left the casino hub for an “unknown destination”, according to the state Bernama news agency. Macau authorities told AFP they had received a request from the Malaysian government concerning Low — full name Low Taek Jho — but would give no further detail. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said last month that the country was seeking 36-year-old Low’s arrest and that he had gone abroad. Public disgust over claims that former leader Najib and his cronies looted 1MDB was a major factor in the shock election loss of Najib’s long-ruling coalition